Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a conventional server system includes a local server 1 for usage by a user, a remote server 2 which is coupled to the local server 1 via a network, and an external device 3 which is communicably coupled to the local server 1. The local server 1 includes at least one motherboard 11. Each motherboard 11 includes a southbridge 111, a baseboard management controller (BMC) 112, a first switch 113, a second switch 114, and a plurality of read-only memories (ROMs) 115 which respectively store image file data 116. The image file data 116 stored in one of the read-only memories 115 is selected for boot-up of the local server 1. The remote server 2 stores image file data 21, which may be downloaded through network transmission and stored in a corresponding one of the read-only memories 115 of the local server 1 to serve as the image file data 116 for setup during the boot-up of the local server 1. The external device 3 is exemplified as a USB flash drive, and stores image file data 31, which may be loaded via Direct Access into a corresponding one of the read-only memories 115 to serve as the image file data 116 for setup during the boot-up of the local server 1. Only two of the read-only memories 115 are illustrated in FIG. 2 for illustrative purpose.
When the local server 1 is booting up, the board management controller 112 issues a first control signal to the first switch 113 for opening a channel between the first switch 113 and the southbridge 111 and a channel between the first switch 113 and the second switch 114. The board management controller 112 further issues a second control signal to the second switch 114 for opening the channel between the second switch 114 and the first switch 113 and a channel between the second switch 114 and a corresponding one of the read-only memories 115. The southbridge 111 thus accesses the image file data 116 stored in the corresponding one of the read-only memories 115 via the first switch 113 and the second switch 114, so as to compete the boot-up.
When an error occurs during the boot-up process of the local server 1, for example, when the image file data 116 is damaged, the local server 1 is capable of reloading the image file data 31 or 21 through the external device 3 or the remote server 2 so as to proceed with the boot-up process.
Currently, there are two different approaches to boot-up data update for the local server 1. In the first approach, the baseboard management controller 112 issues a first control signal to the first switch 113 for opening a channel between the first switch 113 and the baseboard management controller 112 and the channel between the first switch 113 and the second switch 114. The board management controller 112 further issues a second control signal to the second switch 114 for opening the channel between the second switch 114 and the first switch 113, and a channel between the second switch 114 and a corresponding one of the read-only memories 115, such that updated image file data (e.g., the image file data 21 originally stored in the remote server 2) is able to be loaded from the baseboard management controller 112 via the first switch 113 and the second switch 114 into the corresponding one of the read-only memories 115. In this way, during a next boot-up process, the updated image file data 21 will be accessed for subsequent boot-up settings. In the second approach, the baseboard management controller 112 issues a first control signal to the first switch 113 for opening a channel between the first switch 113 and the southbridge 111 and the channel between the first switch 113 and the second switch 114. The board management controller 112 further issues a second control signal to the second switch 114 for opening the channel between the second switch 114 and the first switch 113 and a channel between the second switch 114 and a corresponding one of the read-only memories 115, such that updated image file data (e.g., the image file data 31 originally stored in the external device 3) is able to be loaded from the southbridge 111 via the first switch 113 and the second switch 114 into the corresponding one of the read-only memories 115. In this way, during the next boot-up process, the updated image file data 31 will be accessed for subsequent boot-up process.
Since different boot-up data security designs have been introduced to ensure successful boot-up of the local server 1, multiple read-only memories 115 are often required. Each of the read-only memories 115 stores respective image file data 116, and a channel is established between the second switch 114 and any one of the read-only memories 115 when required. Therefore, the more the read-only memories 115, the more channels to be established between the second switch 114 and the respective read-only memories 115, thereby resulting in a relatively complex overall circuit architecture. Moreover, during the process of accessing the image file data 116, since corresponding channel controls are required for different situations, switching mechanism of the baseboard management controller 112 which controls the switches 113, 114 becomes more complicated, so that a more complex design of the baseboard management controller 112 is inevitable.
Accordingly, the conventional server system, for a purpose of protecting integrity of boot-up data, a plurality of read-only memories are required, and a plurality switches are correspondingly arranged, thereby resulting in complication of related control circuits and incurring higher hardware cost.